Inspiring Women in Business Podcast - Episode 7 - Why you need a personal brand strategy - Interview With Carly Keighley
What is a personal brand strategy? Is this something that you need for your business right now? These and a lot more other questions are answered in this value-packed interview I have with personal brand strategist Carly Keighley.
In this episode, Carly talks about why you need a personal brand and how to develop one. We also talked about the importance of niching and how it’s a process and Carly spoke about her experience of Clubhouse and how it’s helped her develop her brand.
Key takeaways from this episode:
- Brand strategy is deep core work.
- When you connect with your brand, you will attract your dream client.
- When you're in personal business, personal branding is the same as your values. You want to be in integrity with your brand so that it feels authentic.
- Get alignment with yourself first. Then you will start to feel what you're about, what your belief is. It's what your clients need of you.
- From knowing yourself it becomes clearer who you want to work with.
- Invest in branding. It will be one of the best investments you can make.
About Carly:
Carly Keighley is a personal brand strategist who stands out for her intuitive approach to branding. She helps clients to be aligned with themselves, their business, and their lives while attracting their dream clients.
Connect and know more about Carly here:
Website: https://www.findyourfeelgood.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlykeighleybrandcoaching/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlykeighley/?ref=bookmarks
Clubhouse: @carlykeighley
More about Ruth:
Hi, I’m Ruth, a business coach specialising in helping freelancers and business owners adjust their mindset and their marketing so they can get fully booked with clients they LOVE to work with. I’ve helped hundreds of self-employed women achieve the time and money freedom they craved.
I’ve started this podcast because when I first went all in and left the corporate world to be a freelancer, I was grateful for any work that came my way. After over 20 years of freelancing and working for other people, I started to realize I’d created a glass ceiling for myself.
In 2017, I finally started listening to that voice that had been telling me for a long time that I wasn’t doing what I loved and fulfilling my true potential. It took a critical illness to give me that wake-up call. I don’t want the same to happen to you.
You can expect practical advice, inspiring stories, and a lot of aha moments as we uncover and kick to the curb all the obstacles you have been putting in your way.
I’m on a mission to inspire women to start and play bigger in business.
Connect and know more about Ruth Gilbey here:
Coaching: https://www.ruthgilbey.com/coaching
Free stuff: https://www.ruthgilbey.com/next-client
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruthgilbeymarketingandcoaching/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruth_gilbey/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthgilbey/
Transcription
Guest Intro:
Hi everyone, I'm really pleased to say that I am interviewing Carly Keighley today, who is a personal brand strategist. And today, we're going to be talking about why you need a personal brand and how you can develop a personal brand. We're going to talk about the niche. She's also going to talk to us about Clubhouse. And she's also going to tell us about her journey in entrepreneurship and interpersonal branding.
Podcast Intro:
Hello, and welcome to the inspiring women in business podcast. My name is Ruth Gilbey, and I'm a business and marketing coach. I'm on a mission to inspire women to start and play bigger in business. Now I started this podcast because when I first went all in and left the corporate world to be a freelancer, I was just grateful for any work that came my way. After over 20 years of freelancing and working for other people, I started to realize I created a glass ceiling myself. It was in 2017 when I finally started listening to that voice that had been telling me for a long time that I wasn't doing what I loved, and I wasn't fulfilling my true potential. It took a critical illness to give me that wake-up call. And I don't want the same thing to happen to you. You can expect practical advice, interviews, inspiring stories, and a lot of aha moments as we uncover and kick to the curb. All the obstacles you've been putting in your way.
Ruth:
Hello, everyone. I'm really pleased to say I'll be talking to Carly Keighley today. Carly, do you want to introduce yourself to everybody?
Carly:
Yeah. Hi, everyone. And thanks so much for having me, Ruth. I'm so excited. And it's always so great to be a guest rather than the host. So I'm really looking forward to this. But yeah, my name is Carly. And I don't want to correct it's Keighley, but every guest is calling me that.
Ruth:
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Carly:
Honestly, I think I'm almost tempted to change it to Keighley because I quite like that. And I think it would make sense. But yeah.
Ruth:
The thing is, my grandma is from Keithley, so I should know!!
Carly:
Yeah, that's a nice start saying Keighley, like the town. Yeah. So yeah, I'm a personal brand strategist. I am quite an intuitive brand strategist, which is a little bit different. I'm very much about intuition, and energy and alignment, and a little bit Whoo, not for everybody. But you know, if somebody is very soul lead, then that's what I'm here for. I guess I'm totally down for that. And yeah, well, I'm sure there's flow more about that what it actually means. But that's pretty much what I do personal branding and copy and content. It's all part of that strategy.
Ruth:
Amazing. So what I'd like to talk about first is where it all started for you. How did you end up focusing on personal brand content and strategy?
Carly:
How long have you got Ruth? Because my story just goes back a little bit. And this might be quite interesting for whoever's listening, but to hear this because sometimes it's not always as obvious as you think it is, you know, these passions and these superpowers, they're not always where you expect them to be. And especially most of the time, we work from a place of should’s and what I shouldn’t be doing and what I've trained in what I've worked so many years doing, and we kind of stick to that. So my story faith is actually showing to this sort of event being a bit wave. I think it's trusting that God's looking within and exploring different options because, for me, mine actually goes back to 2008. And I won't go through the whole 12 or 13 years now, but yeah, I had a moment last year, so I was a bit of context. I was in personal training for 15 years, probably a bit longer, but with maternity leave and everything. And originally, I was doing a degree in university three times. My story goes very varied, but for different reasons. I was doing media production that I transferred to do graphic design. I lost my mom when I was 21. And it was just too much. I finished university and start going to the gym did a very quick version of this find that fitness really helped me, and I went into fitness. So it was kind of my grieving tool, my coping mechanism, it made me feel good, then you've got a degree in 2008 in Creative Advertising. So this is where this starts to come into it. It was just something that you know. I was always an artsy person. I submitted my design A levels. I thought, yeah, SPORT SCIENCE doesn't really get much further in fitness. I'll go into this give that a go. All of them did so well in it. I even and this again, for context, the next half of my story, I'm always aware, but as women, we do this we downplay our achievements. We shouldn't be no I got a first degree or even won the National Student Award. I was good at what I did, however, close to graduation. I didn't believe in myself. What did I do? I fell into a depression and went back to fitness. So it just shows us, and it's sometimes you know we, the things we let lead us. So yeah, that's where that comes into it. I went back to fitness launch my own business. I loved it had that business for 10, 12 years. I'm losing time with times that were a news one big blur, and then last year with COVID I yeah, it obviously stopped me in my tracks. So personal trading one to one, you know, you can you could just couldn't do it. My business pretty much fell apart overnight. Do you carry someone online? But the rest just kind of crumbled? And yeah, it made me rethink things that I think are for so many people. And then I just had a bit of a sad epiphany as if it was an awakening how very strange sleepwalking incidents. And yeah, it just kind of dawned on me that I'd never just what happened. I think I've worked on myself so much these last few years in my personal growth and my mindset. It kind of clicked that, actually. I need to revisit this. This was something that I wasn't good at isn't. I'm not stealing my business. So by this point, I had my personal training business thriving online, fully booked in-person sell events at launch podcast, and people are coming to me for advice or branding and copying content. So it's just that's how it happened. Really, it was kind of reconnecting and healing with my past. So that's what I say to people, you know, look with noise or something that's niggling, and it's not always as straightforward as it might seem. The vibe is something that is hidden, deep beneath you can go back to, and I've just not looked back. So you know, I've not even been doing this a year. It's like I've been doing it for ten because it has just clicked. I've found my superpower, and I love it. So yes, sorry. That took quite a long time. But that's my story. I guess.
Ruth:
I love it. So it's not a linear process? Is it finding what you actually really want to do? So when did you get that feeling like this, is it? This is what I really want to do?
Carly:
Yeah, it's hard to put the finger on it. I'm trying to think back. It was June last year. And I really think I think it was just stopping. And I said this, thinking about things with so much time on my hands. I think it was just a bit of a niggle that just kept going back. It was almost like, Yeah, no, it's something just is there in your mind, and you just can't really stop the thoughts. So I just decided to explore it. I think I do. I always do. Yeah, I love my coffee and my exploring ideas. So I just think of pen and paper and start to explore what is this? What actually is it? Is it copywriting? Is it content creating? Is it branding, and for some reason, I just felt really drawn towards personal branding. So even though my degree is in advertising, they are very different. There are some huge similarities as well because I did specialize in copywriting for my degree. So copy came into it. And I just thought, Oh, it's a strategy side. It's brand strategy. And it fits with all my personal developments of growth and empowering women. It was just like, well, what are you about? And, yes, step up and show that to the world, wherever you are about whatever your mission is aligning with your true self, putting that out there being courageous enough to step out and do that. So it can just fit your personal branding to me. Really worked because it was it brought empowerment into it as well.
Ruth:
So, could you tell our listeners what personal brand strategy is? Because I think it's a lot of confusion out there. And often people think, is this something that I need for my business right now?
Carly:
Yeah, there are so many misconceptions and probably barriers around it as well. So to see what it is, first of all, you've got branding, and a lot of people think branding, they think corporates, they think logos, they think pretty design. And yeah, they might be forgiven for thinking that's just for a business as for a company, or it's something I look at further down the line when I've got the money when I'm ready to invest. And what they don't realize is with branding, there are two strands to it. So you've got the personal branding, but or just branding overall specifically, if a small business, although I always liked for that personal touch to it. So I think it still fits be that face your business, not just to hide behind it. But yeah, a strategy is deep core work. And I said deep, very specifically there because it can get quite deep, and it can get a bit uncomfortable. The work I do, we do deep dives, we dig deep, we see what your values about your personal brand stories, whereas the identity or design side of it is still obviously crucial. But it is a little bit more comfortable. So some people even skip the strategy in the deep dive work. And probably go straight to a designer, or straight onto Canva themselves and think, well, I'll make myself a pretty logo and a website or be all singing, all dancing. And that's me. And it looks great out ago, but they don't quite connect with it. And this is what I'm really passionate about. That's why I'm quite intuitive and quite integrated into alignment and energy because I truly believe that for you to connect with your personal brand, that energy is going to shine, and you're going to start really attracting your dream clients because they're on your wavelength. Your dream clients I pretty much knew from so many steps ago. So that's why I think it's so important to dig deep. Yes, it might be uncomfortable, but you feel so in alignment for doing the work, and it does show, and you start to put content out that you actually really love that your clients will connect with and of course the strategy as well that we're strategy is key because it has to be about your dream clients as well could all be about us but I do think it is a really good place to start.
Ruth:
So when people come to start working with you, where are they before they start working with you, and where are they after they finished with you?
Carly:
I think a word that comes to mind depends on which stage, and I typically work with female entrepreneurs or, specifically, it's more coaches and mentors. I seem to have just gone that way and haven't niched, but it's kind of ended up like that. And I think that was the personal brand because we are our brand we are putting yourself out there every day, so whether you think you're a brand or not you are I always like to kind of demystify that because you are a brand, and it's only got some times but yeah, so some people might be a little bit in denial that they are a brand start with that they don't really need that. They do me being me. But what tends to happen is they're not them. And they're putting the cell phone that they should play. And they think their clients want to see. So some of them might feel quite certain in the self, but at the same time scratching the head thinking, Well, why am I not getting clients? Then? Why am I not growing? My audience? Why am I not getting engagement? Why is it not connecting, not realizing that that deep work that I was just talking about, then is that missing ingredient is the missing step? Because either we don't know about it, or like I said, they just don't see it as important just yet. So they kind of feel it least bit confused. They're so certain of what they're doing. And they might believe in themselves. They might not. And that's a big part of what I do. I like to really look at mindset as well click brand mindset because I think that for us to have to step into that brand, it is quite daunting. And then I push people and push people is like on your brilliance, I said, it's so much easier. This is not just what you do. And you could have a coach, as we do coaching sessions, while we are what they give, and that's the next step. So yeah, I suppose the other side of that of what they come away with a small, more belief, more confidence, and you have pushed them quite a bit past their comfort zone of just knowing what their buy-in, say, owning it and starting to talk to the dream clients about it. You know, I think as women we do hold back, I do, I think we're very much it's just me, and I don't like to show up is maybe a thought sometimes you'll know about this route with the clients you work with. We do like to hold back. I say we because we still do it, you probably still do it, I think there's there's an element, and even the top women in the business probably have this element as well. But the difference is they have a team. And they have this very orchestrator personal brand when you're at that level. Whereas I like it this level in a way, when you're not, you've not got a full team where you can start to really construct your own brand yourself. And then when you do get to the team level, hopefully, you're so deeply rooted that actually that just shines through anyway, your team knows what you're about. I've gone up from on there, but the team, but it's. Yeah, it's getting to get to know what you're about. And yeah, having that clarity, I guess I think I've answered it.
Ruth:
Yeah, 100%, I'm always saying to everybody, in my community, there are a lot of marketers, or there are a lot of business owners who are just doing their own marketing, and they're doing having to do all this stuff themselves. And I think that often, we're just too close to things to recognize what we actually need. So working with someone, and getting, you know, understanding what actually we need to, you know, do that deep work that you're talking about is so important, isn't it? So what would you say to someone who is kind of like making those first steps to understand what their personal brand is?
Carly:
That's a tricky one. It does depend on what stage they're at us. Was it right at the beginning? The first basic exercise I do with people, and yeah, he got to work with these branding agencies as a branding coach, that myself as there are different ways to do this. And I think they would all start in the same place. It would be just a list of personal values, which are your brand values. But when you're in personal business, personal branding, to me that the same your personal values, you want to put those out, you want to be in integrity with your brand. So that really feels authentic, the buzzword to us is authentic, but that's where it starts. So yeah, I would give them a sheet of paper with brand values. And you can Google this. You could Google this as brand values, worksheets, print it off, and give it a go. Circle. The values that really speak to you, not your dream clients at this stage. I think that it's key to know you're getting alignment yourself first, then start looking at the clients. So yeah, give it a go and see how they feel. And then when you whittle it down to five, there may be three top values, or do you like to push people to say, can you choose one? That's very hard, and many people can't. But sometimes, there is just one thing that shines. I think, yeah, that's what my vote is a money mindset coach. It might be abundance. That is my key value. If it's a coach, life coaching might be more of compassion. If it's what I do, it's really about connection and alignment. So yeah. I can't even, through three probably, but yeah, personal brand values, and then you almost start to feel the next steps. Because you've, you've started stepping into alignment first.
Ruth:
And what does that once you've got those core values? How does that help your content and your messaging,
Carly:
I think I mean when it comes to the content, and the message again is key, because you just know from that where you're coming from that place, and you just kind of it's really hard to explain because it's such a process, it's almost it's hard to describe it in a way because it's like a natural process that you have the values you know, what you're buying is almost like you step into that sort of copy that tone of voice, I guess from the values becomes the tone of voice, that vendor starts to translate into copy and content quite naturally, then it's the message in there as well. So the message comes down to your core belief. But do you feel that once you've got the values and you know what you're about, it's almost you know that transformation you want to give as well because it's in line with what you believe in? I think that's where it comes from. I think it's difficult to explain because it's such a process. But if I had to sum it up, it is just getting alignment, and it starts to feel what you're about what your belief is, and then it's what your clients in need of you as a result.
Ruth:
And then is that the way that you then help them connect with their dream clients?
Carly:
Yes, it's almost like a two-step process. So I have it as aligned with yourself first. Interestingly enough, I've even had this debate a little bit. So yesterday, I do see myself as a little bit different, but I like to stand out. I think as entrepreneurs we do we don't conform with rebel against the norm. And I had this discussion in Clubhouse where, you know, they'll say, well, it's personal branding isn't really about you, it's about your dream clients, as much as it is a two-step process. Again, alignment. First, it's almost like there's no harm in this, you know, we don't have to be about the clients. Because if you've missed that chance to deeply connect with yourself and you, it is going to cause a disconnect. So I think you're getting alignment yourself, then start to look at who you want to work with. But I think from knowing yourself. It becomes again clearer who you want to work with. And this is a chance to be a little bit selfish with this. You know, you can choose your niche. You can choose who you want to work with. And more importantly, you can choose who you don't want to work with a nice super empowering so, you've been everything where you're taking people on, and there's just an icky feeling, wait, this is not working for me. And it's getting really specific, putting boundaries in place, then you can start connecting with them. Because again, you're happy to help them the people you want to work with. So then you can start to look at their needs, their problems, their pain points, and all these marketing terms that you'll know so well. But I feel it was that connection. It's almost like a flow of energy is a process. It almost feels like to be aligned with yourself know who you want to work with. Right now, let's start talking to them. Now let's start connecting with them because we know where the starting point.
Ruth:
I've wanted to ask you about niching actually because it's a big thing. I just wanted to ask you about niching. Carly, because it's something that comes up an awful lot. And I talk to my clients about this quite a lot that quite well. Not quite very nervous about niching because they think they're going to alienate their clients. Any advice that you've got for anyone around niching
Carly:
Oh, niching! That word. Yeah. It puts the fear of God in most people, which I think is quite a daunting process. That's what that mindset comes into it, and you'll have this so many times in marketing and branding. They're not too far removed, you know, is looking at people's objections, and I think with niching, that's definitely one of them. I see so many times, and sometimes it's a process again. You really push people as far as they want to, especially if you start engaging. I will say to niche or not to niche. That's part of my group program, actually. And it's sort of this is the reason this isn't my case for niching it does give you your clear recopy clear content you can start to really speak to your people being specific if you're wishy-washy and trying to talk to everyone is like classic saying is a trying to talk to everyone you may end up, or you probably will end up speaking to no one listening whereas if you speak directly and I start your say self, Ruth, I start to really talk about your life really sort of getting to grips with what your mindset is where you are in your business, so you're going to sit up and listen, and that to me is what a niche does it commands attention, but in a really soulful yeah to commands actually it makes some very military but in that soulful way I like I'd like to talk about soulful selling and soulful content. And I think if you can just use that especially when you write all about the Women in Business feminine power, feminine energy, talk to them use our emotions, so we're emotional beings, and we can tap into that but in a really serving way you know, helpful way but yeah, to me, I do believe in niching, but I do get the fear around it, and I think just if you time you know maybe you just start to use it as a coach and they're like, I want to work with anybody in the business. It could be, you know, I'm just whatever you started in the business, I can help you all, and it depends. You know, sometimes I think when I used to work in fitness when you have a skill set, and you could help everybody that's a problem in fitness you know, it's all the same thing, and I could help anybody I could get you fit I could get you strong give what do I want to and then you know, is it safe? I start talking to everybody would a male gym guy then think, Well, yeah, I want to work with you. Probably not unless I started to get really specific about him wanting to bulk up and him having this lifestyle. But same with those you know, so you could say in business then is it women in business? Basic, more specific thinking female cultures? Yeah. Is it really specific? Some people have the most wonderful niches, don't they? You've seen it. Oh, I remember once hearing about is it. A pet photographer? You may have heard this one a pet photographer that they were then teaching other pet photographers how to be good pet photographers. I think how random is that? But they made the money they did so well. So it's sometimes stepped by step think Can I close that pool down a little bit? And then think Can I do a bit more? Can I do a test of your copy? If you do Facebook ads? You could try a bit of ads. But yeah, I'm not a huge fan of such as Facebook, but then because there's so much red tape around it, isn't there? It's difficult. But yeah, it could be just testing your audience. Maybe even asking questionnaires in the group doing polls ask them questions about their life and about what their mindset and where they're up to starts right copyright it, and sometimes that's how you can start to niche if you don't always have to be clear and definitive. It could just be testing bits out before you make a grand statement cuz I think people worried about that Ruth as well that this is who I am, this is who I serve, and then they might instantly go opposite. If you just have to test it without actually saying it and just see what reaction you get. You could do that step before having to really go for it. But I think to me. It's as you probably give the same advice. I think Britney she's so great, but if you're ready for them.
Ruth:
100% I think you're right that it's a process, but it gets you to stand out and be the go-to person doesn't only make everything easier makes your marketing easier, and you're more intentional and focused with your marketing. I wanted to ask you. I've noticed you're on Clubhouse quite a bit. So how do you think Clubhouse is? How does that work when you've got a personal brand? And using something like Clubhouse if you've got any advice for people, what have you found? And what view, your insights about Clubhouse?
Carly:
I love it. I personally love it. I wasn't so sure. And actually, when people started to have the whole hype, and again, I've touched on this before, but I'm quite a rebel, I don't conform, I don't go with the crowd. So when it was all the hype of Clubhouse, it invites only it's like a member's club. I was like, a year, whatever. I don't know if part of this because it just sounds too mainstream. But then here, you get you invited to get a bit curious. I'll just check it out. Next week, you're hooked. Yeah, this is for me. And what advice I'd give with Clubhouse is, again, being intentional and being strategic. And I think it's a perfect place for people who've got a personal brand. But again, it's not just going on. Once I talk about being in alignment and having your passion subjects, that's all very well, but you wouldn't just want to go on a start talking about anything, you know, you could have a book club, but it's what purpose it is? You know what, if you love books, I said, the right context, if you love books, you could have a book club, but actually, what is it about that? And does that relate to your business? So yeah, it comes back to that word niche is knowing your niche a certain extent, who you're talking to, what you're talking about, what their objections could be to working with you, what their objections could be to what you do so with you for marketing, people get a little bit confused on marketing, it could even be you know, if we used to do a room, it would be marketing and personal branding. Are they the same thing? Are they, Yeah, so you can start to demystify a little bit, and just things that quite intriguing, but bring people in, and then once they're in the room, is what do you want to talk about to keep them there? For myself? Yeah, I do have room on Adam to actually know how he changed the name of it. So it's gonna be a weekly club. It was about aligning with your personal brand that sells or feeling good, and what it was like feeling good in your personal brand and selling it. And now I'm caught talking about aligning, aligning with yourself and your dream clients. Can you do both? And then people come into the room, and I start chatting about that, and it becomes a business tool. And I've had clients from it, because I'm talking about the things that matter to them or things they're questioning, they might think, well, how much I put in my brand of me, how do I find my brand values, and you're having that discussion, they're then going to click on your profile, they're going to find you on Instagram, they might DM you, say, oh gosh, you were talking about exactly what I need, can I book in a call? So to me, with a personal brand, I think it's the perfect way to Yes, start to connect with your dream clients. But I do think it has that niche, whether you've niche or not how far you go, having a bit of a niche, and your message is always about your message that has to be on point, what are you about?
Ruth:
So I think it goes, this is the sort of advice I give everybody. When it comes to when something new and shiny comes up, there's no point just being on it for the sake of being on it. What's the strategy behind it? And it sounds like you've really nailed that strategy, and that you've taken, you know, having those conversations on Clubhouse off Clubhouse and turned into clients. I think that's absolutely amazing. And I think I remember when Snapchat came out, and I was just spent hours playing on it. And I remember saying to myself. I'm never gonna do that, again, that if there's a new tool that comes out, I'm going to use it, but I'm going to use it intentionally, and for my business, I'm not just going to be on it for the sake of being on it. So yeah, I think it's really that qualification process. Is this going to take me closer to my goals?
Carly:
Yeah. And I've seen a bit of fear, actually, in some of my clients. I've because I'm so hot at the minute, and I really see such growth and potential. I guess because I'm working with clients on their strategy, I start to embody their message gets really know what they're about. And I can see it before they do and be like, Oh, you could totally win a room on this. This could be the title you will get people in. You might get clients, and they hold back because maybe they're not quite in that stage yet. I can also see almost see it before them. And they're thinking, what is it just wasting time? Is it the idea to take my time up? So there's a little bit of fear around Clubhouse. I think because it is new, I think and probably quite rightly. But to me, I'm a bit of a jump right in sort of girl. I think I just I'm quite impulsive. And I would just dive in deeper, talking first, then dive in. And I love it. So sometimes you've got to be a bit brave in this business game as well. And just give it a go.
Ruth:
100% it's just it really is just another marketing channel. Isn't it the same similar principles to all of them when something new comes up? It's just the technicalities are a bit different because it's audio. That was amazing. Thank you so much for sharing all that wonderful advice. My last question for you. Well, actually, I've got two questions for you is. What's your best advice for someone who's looking to take that leap from the corporate world into either being a freelancer or business owner or take that next step? They're like, I just was thinking about doing this in my business, but I'm a little bit nervous about what you'll be your best advice be. A big question.
Carly:
Yeah, cuz there's so much, isn't that, and whilst I'm not a business coach, I'm a brand coach, there is a bit of a blurred line sometimes because probably my gut instinct there is just to make sure you're financially prepared. And this is said away from personal branding. I'll just give that as my first tip and then going on to be more creative and enlightened. But I think it is, as you know, I think a lot of people, they're a bit wary of going in. But also, we get a bit carried away with the idea of once you are in that place ready and you've committed to it, or you've just started to think about it, we think it's probably a simpler and more straightforward process than it is we think success is probably closer than it is there for taking, but it's going to take work, and financial pressure can't half ruin that for you. Sometimes your people have felt like they failed or they've given up before they've really given a goal because they haven't met the expectations they thought they would do. So on paper, it can sound really easy. I just need this client. I just need three clients. And that replaces that corporate income, not probably thinking about the things you're going to invest in. So I suppose it does come in line with what I'm about because I say your invest in branding, it will be one of the best investments you can make, I think because once you know what you're by, it's just gonna put you in good stead to it yet. Yeah, have a bit of a safety net. And then speak to people, I guess your from connections as there's no better support sometimes and finding your people having like business besties, who when things are a bit all over, we just want to ask advice. It really helps. It really does. It's just not going it alone. And then yes, at some point, when you've reached, we've kind of got your head around it. And you've got your network in place, you've got your finances in place, then I would say yeah, work on what you're about, and what your message is before you start to put yourself out there because you're otherwise you may say feel as if feel like you're failing because it's all learnings. But if you've not got the message and you're not attracting the clients, it's just the basic step. I kind of pull people back to I said, let's just take you back, start afresh, and then move forward.
Ruth:
That's great advice. I love that it is practical, real advice from someone who's been through it. And I think if you have those things in place, it makes the process more enjoyable, you know, having that financial, just, you know, find out a little bit of financial security, your support network and then you know, spending some time thinking about what kind of things we're going to put out there. You know, your personal brand. That's brilliant. So how can people find out more about what you do, Carly? And how can they connect with you?
Carly:
This is tricky because I'm the master. I'm a master of rebounds myself.
I am ready to rebrand my whole thing. So I think the best thing to do is Carly Keighley. And it'll be in the show notes that you can maybe find me on Clubhouse because I just called Keighley on Instagram. It's called Keighley brand coaching. So I'm not going to change that. I don't think I'll stick with that one. And then, from there, I'm about to launch a new podcast. I do have a podcast the minute called Find Your Feel Good. By the time this goes I I think that will still be there. But I'd probably switch to the new one, which is going to be called Ready To Soar. Yeah, and that's my new vibe about just helping women to take the next step who are ready to really step up. And so
Ruth:
Brilliant. Thank you so much, Carly.
Carly:
Thanks so much for having me. I have loved being on the side of it. Thanks, Ruth.
Outro:
Thanks for listening to the inspiring women in business podcast. I hope you found this episode helpful. If you did, I would love it if you would leave me a review. Also, I would love to connect with you on Instagram. That's where I hang out most of the time. I'm @Ruth_Gilbey. I'll put a link in the show notes for you as well come and connect with me. Tell me about your business. And also tell me what you'd like to hear next on the podcast. And lastly, go and check out the business building hub on my website. There you can find more amazing free resources to help you take the next step in your business. And you can also find out other ways that you can work with me. I'll see you soon.